This invention relates to a novel capacitor. More particularly, it relates to a capacitor which is inexpensive and exhibits good leak current characteristics, and a capacitor which has a large capacitance, especially a large capacitance per unit weight at a high frequency, and exhibits good leak characteristics.
As an electrode of a capacitor made of a sintered metal, those which are composed of sintered aluminum, tantalum and alloys thereof are known. These capacitors have widely used in various fields. For example, for a capacitor used in a smoothing circuit for obtaining a direct current from an alternating current, it is desired that the capacitor possesses a low impedance and a large capacitance at a high frequency for suppressing the occurrence of spike-shaped voltage and enhancing the efficiency of conversion to a direct current.
The above-mentioned sintered metals used as a capacitor electrode have problems. Namely, sintered aluminum has poor environmental characteristics such as moisture resistance and chemical characteristics, and sintered tantalum is expensive. Sintered niobium is also known as a material used for a capacitor electrode, and not possessing the problems encountered with sintered aluminum and tantalum, but, it has another problem that oxygen adsorbed on its surface influences dielectrics as mentioned below, and thus, the leak current characteristics are not satisfactory and it is of poor practical use.
To provide a capacitor used in a smoothing circuit and having an enhanced capacitance at a high frequency, the volume of a sintered metal substrate made of, for example, tantalum or aluminum, should be increased. The increase in volume of the sintered metal substrate is inconsistent with a requirement of miniaturization of a capacitor. Among others, tantalum gives a relatively satisfactory for the requirements of an enhanced capacitance at a high frequency and a miniaturization of a capacitor, but, it is still not completely satisfactory for these requirements. Usually a tantalum oxide is used as a dielectric substance for a capacitor with an electrode composed of sintered tantalum bodies. However, if a material having a dielectric constant larger than that of tantalum oxide is used as a dielectric substance, the capacitor can be more miniaturized. As examples of the material having a large dielectric constant, there can be mentioned titanium oxide and niobium oxide. But, these materials exhibit poor leak current (hereinafter abbreviated to xe2x80x9cLCxe2x80x9d) characteristics.
The inventors have found, first, that sintered bodies of niobium nitride are advantageous in that the amount of oxygen deposited on the surface thereof is minor and the leak current characteristics of the capacitor are satisfactory, and secondly, that the above-mentioned problem as for LC characteristics of a capacitor with niobium oxide dielectrics is due to the fact that oxygen deposited on the surface of sintered bodies influences the dielectric substance. Based on these findings, the inventors have completed the present invention.
The inventors have further found that, if the electrode other than the electrode composed of sintered niobium nitride bodies is made of at least one compound selected from organic semiconductors and inorganic semiconductors, which do not have a capability of supplying oxygen to an undue extent, a capacitor having a large capacitance at a high frequency can be obtained. Further, if, as the organic semiconductor or the inorganic semiconductor, those which have an electrical conductivity of 10xe2x88x922 Sxc2x7cmxe2x88x921 to 103 Sxc2x7cmxe2x88x921 are used, a capacitor having a more reduced impedance can be obtained.
Thus, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a capacitor comprising a pair of electrodes and a dielectric substance intervening between the electrodes, characterized in that one of the electrodes is composed of sintered niobium nitride.
The dielectric substance of the above-mentioned capacitor is preferably made of niobium oxide, more preferably made of niobium oxide prepared by electrolytic oxidation of the sintered niobium nitride. The other of the two electrodes is preferably made of at least one ingredient selected from electrolytes, organic semiconductors and inorganic semi-conductors, more preferably at least one ingredient selected from organic semiconductors and inorganic conductors, which have an electrical conductivity of from 10xe2x88x922 Sxc2x7cmxe2x88x921 to 103 Sxc2x7cmxe2x88x921.